OOW 2009 - Blogger's Meetup

Doug's Oracle Blog

So after a day's interesting presentations, it was time for the Cuddly Toy Meetup, but I can't really tell you how I went because I went to the Blogger Meetup, started having a good time and forgot my supervision responsibilities. All I'll say, for risk I'll be kicked out of the hotel, is that when I got back to my room, there were empty sweet bags and fizzy juice bottles all over the place! It took me an hour to clean up the mess this morning before the maid could see the after-math!

As for the Blogger Meetup, I think it was one of the best that I've been to, thanks to OTN fronting up for free drinks, Pythian supplying the T-Shirts and HP providing a Netbook as the competition prize! Alex came up with a great competition too, to keep people talking and mingling. On the front of the T-Shirt it said "I met more bloggers than you!" and people circulated the room, getting people to sign their T-shirts until, if you were a real blogger junkie, you could end up with a T-Shirt totally covered in signatures. Something like this ...

As the organiser, though, Alex was disqualified but the judging wasn't too difficult as someone had over 50 signatures! It was at that point, when they won an HP Netbook, that I realised that I should perhaps have put a little more effort in.

Regardless, it was a really enjoyable event so thanks to all those that made it happen and fellow bloggers for being good company. My only disappointment was that I kept seeing Jonah Harris, who I wanted to meet and compliment his work, and then I'd get side-tracked and that went on the whole night, even after we all adjourned to Chevy's for some Mexican food and beer.

Then Paul Vallee and Robyn Sands managed to convince me that we could use the two available wrist-bands for a private party in a night-club to get three of us in. Despite my protestations, they turned out to be right and, more to the point, it was the most lively party I've been to all week. Then again - there's Treasure Island to come tonight and the weather has improved dramatically!

Sigh. Alex G just did one of his crazy video interviews with me, so I guess that'll be turning up on a blog not too far away soon.

Updated - news just in from Edinburgh. (Why do they know about it there first?) Video is here. I'm dreading going to look at it

Disclosure: I'm attending this year's Openworld Conference at the
invitation of the Oracle ACE Director program, which is paying my
travel and accommodation expenses. I've also started wearing T-Shirts advertising companies I used to work for, but only after they absolutely *begged* me.

Disclaimer

For the avoidance of any doubt, all views expressed here are my own and not those of past or current employers, clients, friends, Oracle Corporation, my Mum or, indeed, Flatcat. If you want to sue someone, I suggest you pick on Tigger, but I hope you have a good lawyer. Frankly, I doubt any of the former agree with my views or would want to be associated with them in any way.